Outcast
by in-umbra
Summary: Before becoming friends with Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Alert was very shy and kept his distance away from people to read and study. That also made him a target for bullying. As Armin struggles with these bullies, he realizes that there is someone just like him.


**A/N: hey guys...this is my first ever story on this website so I'm a little nervous about this. Also this is my first ever Attack on Titan fanfic so please tell me how you think especially if I make the characters OOC. I really hope I will enjoy myself here and I'm really looking forward to your responds to my stories as they go along...anyway without further ado, enjoy:) I also own nothing of Attack on Titan**

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My life is basically lonely. Even though I have amazing parents, I do not have any friends...in fact, I'm not good with anyone in general.

All the other kids my age would spend their time in groups and play games on the street or something. Well...that...isn't the case with me. I've always been curious with reading and studying other amazing things. That being mainly what is beyond these walls.

The walls are meant to keep these creatures called titans out because they nearly caused the human race to go into extinction.

I've been interested in what has been beyond these walls for as long as I can remember, but I know I would be in huge trouble if I try to leave...especially since I don't know what's exactly out there.

Usually I would stay inside and read, but it was pretty nice outside, so today I decided to read at a nice spot...perhaps underneath a tree or something like that.

Slowly getting up from my bed, I leave my room and began heading out of the house.

"Where are you going young man?"

I turned around to see my mother staring at me. Sometimes I forget that she would be home at this time since she gets back from helping out at the church.

"I'm just going outside to find somewhere to read. It's a little crowded in here."

She just stares at me for a moment, before nodding.

"Ok, but be careful...I want you back before supper."

I nod. "Ok."

She smiles at me before I turn my back to her and leave the house. The town around next is nothing but townhouses and walkways. There's a creek nearby...maybe that's where I'll go read.

People passed me as I walked, and every time they do, I became more and more shy because I'm afraid that they would look at me differently.

That's all they probably see me...nothing but a different boy with different ideas. I have never been good with people...well besides my family.

Sometimes I go to church with mother, and I would always hide behind her when she's talking to people from church afterwards.

I've been too busy looking around at the surroundings, that I didn't notice that I ran into someone and then dropped my book in the process.

"Hey!" that was a boy's voice...maybe one or two years older than me. "Watch where you're going next time!"

I looked up, and the boy was way taller than me...maybe like a whole foot or two. His hair was messy, and his clothes were ragged and loose on him. He was glaring down at me, and I nearly completely froze up.

That probably would've happened if I didn't remember that I dropped my book. Not saying a word, I try to reach around him where my book laid. Unfortunately, he noticed and he shoved me and picked up the book.

"What's this?" he asks, pointing to it.

"Uh..." I stuttered. "C-can I h-have that back, p-please?"

He opens it and flips the pages...but he was holding it sideways while doing it.

"How can you read this? There's nothing in here but words! It makes my brain hurt!"

"I...I'm just interested in-."

He shoves me to the ground before I can finish, and then there was laughter. I looked behind me to see two other guys walking up to me.

"Looks like you've found a runt, Jack," one of them said.

"Hey...I've seen him around before," the other one said. "Sometimes I see him go into that church with his mother, and he's always holding a book...no multiple books with him."

"Ah so we have a smart runt then," Jack smirks. "This is gonna be a lot of fun."

"I don't want any trouble," I whisper. "I...just wanna-."

"I don't care what you want!" Jack lifts me by my shirt, off the ground. "I'm gonna make you feel a world full of pain.

Next thing I know, I was punched in the face, and he slammed me to the ground. The other two boys laugh, as they had their turn pounding me.

"S-stop!" I cried out softly. "P-please!"

They didn't listen to a word I say as the began stomping me, and all I can do was curl up into a ball. I refuse to fight back because I don't want to stoop so low into becoming one of them.

It seemed like hours of them continuously kicking me before they stop and they were laughing. One of them threw my book in the mud and the boys laughed and ran away, leaving me all alone. I sat up crying like a baby and looked to see where my book laid.

No one was around me whatsoever, and that made me even more upset. But...why am I surprised? Surly no one would help a weakling and a coward like me.

Pain shot threw me as I struggled to get up, but I tried ignoring it as I reached for my book, which was still in the mud. It took time, but I did get up, reached for the book, and ran all the way home. I was too upset and shaken up to read at this point. Hopefully mother doesn't see me in this state.

Whenever I got back to my house, I ran passed my mother without saying a word.

"Armin, you're home-."

But I didn't let her finish...I ran to my room and slammed the door. I collapsed on my bed, holding my muddy book close to me, and cried. If anyone were to see me, they would probably laugh that I lost a fight...even if I didn't fight in the first place.

I almost didn't hear my mother walking in the room and I refused to even look up.

"Armin, sweetie? Are you ok?"

I nod my head, silently indicating that I'm lying...but that's nothing that my mother should be worried about.

"Are you sure? You ran into your room without even saying a hello," then I could feel her sitting on my bed. "Come on sweetie, I'm you're mother. You can tell me anything."

Yet I still didn't look up at her. She doesn't need to know my pain when I was being kicked by older boys a few minutes ago. I'll only just be a burden to my entire family.

"I really just want to be alone, mother," I say very weakly.

"Armin-."

"Just go away, please," I sob into my muddy book. "I want to be alone."

She was silent before she sighs, and speaks quietly to me.

"Ok, I'll let you calm down a little, and when you're ready, come out and tell me what happened."

I say nothing, and I didn't hear mother walk out of the room for a few moments. When she finally did, I looked up from where I laid, and tried to wipe the tears from my face. The window in my room caught my eyes, and that's when I noticed the condition of my face.

Besides all the tears, I had a black eye and some other bruises on my face. It's probably a good thing I didn't show mother, or else she would have a panic attack.

This just proves that I'm weak and all I will have is my brain, my family, and my books. I'm...I'm nothing like the other kids...and I'll always be alone.

*time skip 1 month later*

I was thrown on the ground once again, and those bullies stood over me like I was some kind of insect. The three books that I have carried were scattered on the ground, and one of those bullies were standing on it. They were once again kicking me, and I was curled up in a ball. Their laughter was all I could hear other than the sound of their feet hitting my body.

"Stop!" I scream out. "Please!"

"Look at that, the useless runt wants us to stop!" Jack laughed.

First they call me a smart runt, then a weak runt, and now it's useless. Why can't these three leave me alone?

"Why don't you fight back if you hate it so much?!" another boy they call Ryan asks.

"I'm not a monster like you! You beat people up for the heck of it!"

"We don't have time for your stupid talk, you useless runt!" Sam said along too.

Jack lifts me up by my shirt, and slams me into a nearby wall. The boys grabbed my books and threw it at three different places on my body. That was my head, my neck, and my stomach. They laughed as they kicked me again, and ran off laughing.

They beat me pretty badly this time, so I don't have any energy to even stand up. All I could do right now is just lean on the building and cry once again.

What could I have done to deserve this? I...up until a month ago, I was perfectly fine living my life with my own brain and my own books...and now I can't ever read without running into these guys. I'm nothing but a coward...that's all there really is to it.

I was sobbing, when I hear someone slowly approaching me. The steps got closer, and my heart was beating more and more louder every second. Slowly, I looked up to see a boy around my age stood over me, and was just staring.

The tears in my eyes kept streaming down my face, but he made no move to attack me. He had this shady look on his face, and he just blinked at me. I've just now noticed that I was shaking, and then he kneeled slightly next to me.

"Hey um...how come...how come you never fought back against those bullies?"

That question caught me by surprise, and I just stared at him. He...doesn't want to beat me up? This boy here...doesn't see me as a weakling or a runt? He...just sees me as another boy? Or...does he see me as a victim?

"Don't you know that's why they are treating you like this? It's because you never fight them back? I mean, do you want to be on the losing side forever?"

I looked up at him with a surprised look. He's asking me to fight back instead of him beating me up himself? With one shaky breath, I answer.

"I...I don't lose by not running away."

That seemed to catch him off guard. I just held his gaze as he seemed to be lost in thought. A few moments later, he stands out and holds his hand out to me. My eyes widen a little at the sudden act of kindness. That's something I haven't seen since I started getting bullied.I hesitated for a moment, before I took the offer, and he helps me to my feet. All he does then is stare at me for a moment.

"What's your name?"

I stared at him...that question had me off guard.

"M-my name?"

He nods. "Yes, your name. What's your name?"

I hesitated for a moment, before I answered him

"A-Armin..."

"Well nice to meet you Armin, I'm Eren."

I blink and looked away. "Oh..."

"Hey, you don't have to be so shy. It's only me."

I looked at him surprised, and the weak smile was still on his face.

"If you need to anyone to pound those bullies to the ground, I'm the man for the job!"

I weakly chuckle whenever he smirked at the comment. Then he walked over to where my books were scattered and picked them up.

"I figured you might want these," he says handing my books to me.

I hesitated before taking the books out of Eren's hands.

"T-thank you...I'll...see you around."

I turned around and began walking away, when he stopped me.

"Hey, my parents and I are having lunch soon...if you want to join."

I turned and looked at Eren wide eyed. A boy around my age wants me to go to his house for lunch? This is...

"I mean you don't have to if you don't want but...you still seem shaken up so I figure I cheer you up. Do you want to?"

I hesitated for a moment, before I slowly walked over to Eren and weakly smiled. My parents aren't expecting me home for a while anyway.

"Sure."

He smiles. "Cool, let's go!"

That's whenever we began making our way to his house. Whenever we got there, I just stayed behind Eren.

"Mom, I'm home!" Eren announces.

His mother looks over, and that's whenever she spotted me.

"Hello there," she says. "Eren, who is this?"

"This is Armin," he gestures towards me. "He seemed to be a little shaken up from a few older boys so...I figured he would need some cheering up. Is it ok?"

"Of course it is," she chuckles and then walks up to me. "Hello there, Armin."

I didn't look at her in the eye, or say anything.

"He's a little shy," Eren says.

"I see...well lunch is soon...Armin, you can sit in Eren's father's spot...he's at work."

I nodded as Eren and I made out way to our seat. A little while later, lunch was ready. Eren and his mother were very kind to me, and Eren wouldn't stop talking about what he wants to do with his life...it fascinated me. That's when I began telling Eren about my life before the moment I met him.

There wasn't anything of my life to talk about except for when I start getting bullied. That's whenever he promised to beat the crap out of those bullies so I don't get harmed.

So...is this what having a friend is like? If that's the case, then I think I'll enjoy having Eren as my friend.

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 **A/N: well...this is how Eren and Armin met. Yes this is based on what I found on the wiki page for Armin so that means Mikasa wasn't in the picture yet...SO DON'T BASH ME ABOUT IT. Anyway, like I said above, this is my first Attack on Titan fanfiction so please tell me if Armin, Eren, and Eren's mom are OOC. Anyway, thank you for reading:)**


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